HELOISE: St. Jude’s Ranch collects card fronts to help kids

Dear Readers: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children has helped neglected and abused children for many years. They live on the Ranch, and there are many success stories of college graduations and thriving careers. And for more than 30 years, the Ranch has been recycling used greeting cards into new cards.

With the holidays behind us, the Ranch is looking for all types of greeting-card fronts that have no writing on the back of them. Cards for every holiday are welcome, and angels and teddy bears are especially in demand. The children cut down the card fronts and make them into new greeting cards, which are then sold online and in the Ranch gift shops. The kids are paid 15 cents per card that they make, and the money goes into their personal accounts.

You can help by sending them greeting-card fronts ONLY. The fronts must be able to be trimmed to fit the Ranch’s 5-inch-by-7-inch backs, and cards are being accepted through Feb. 28, 2010. The address is St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Recycled Card Program, 100 St. Jude’s Street, Boulder City, NV 89005. Heloise

P.S.: This would be a super project for a service club or co-workers all year long. The Ranch starts accepting cards again in November.

Fast Facts

Dear Heloise: I read your column in The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. I might have missed a column if you’ve already addressed this. I have tons of those long, thin plastic bags that the daily newspaper comes in. I have found a few good uses for them:

•Put over the blades of a ceiling fan to protect when painting.

•Store the bags in a tissue box for easy dispensing.

•Put over shoes or boots to protect the carpet.

•I store flower bulbs in a bag during the winter.

Thanks. Barbara, Columbus, Ohio

Dear Heloise: I use the plastic zip bags that sheet sets come in to store knitting projects. I can put the yarn and instructions right in the bag. I can see what’s in it and keep it clean, too! Kathleen, Frostburg, Md.

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: I live in a very neat neighborhood. My pet peeve: We have quite a lot of garage sales. People use bright-neon construction paper for their signs and attach them to street signs, trees or utility poles. They never go back and take the signs down after the sale. The signs hang there and get wet and ragged, sometimes for months. Whenever possible, I stop and take them down. One had hung there for nearly a year! When I put my signs out, I make a note to myself of where each sign is posted. That way, I won’t miss any when I’m picking up the signs. A Reader, Monroe, La.

This looks so bad, is inconsiderate and can be dangerous. Many towns have laws against this practice. Heloise

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate